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Psalm 17

1  Hear my just cause, O Lord; consider my complaint; ♦︎
   listen to my prayer, which comes not from lying lips.
2  Let my vindication come forth from your presence; ♦︎
   let your eyes behold what is right.
3  Weigh my heart, examine me by night, ♦︎
   refine me, and you will find no impurity in me.
4  My mouth does not trespass for earthly rewards; ♦︎
   I have heeded the words of your lips.
5  My footsteps hold fast in the ways of your commandments; ♦︎
   my feet have not stumbled in your paths.
6  I call upon you, O God, for you will answer me; ♦︎
   incline your ear to me, and listen to my words.
7  Show me your marvellous loving-kindness, ♦︎
   O Saviour of those who take refuge at your right hand
      from those who rise up against them.
8  Keep me as the apple of your eye; ♦︎
   hide me under the shadow of your wings,
9  From the wicked who assault me, ♦︎
   from my enemies who surround me to take away my life.

Levirate Marriage

5 When brothers reside together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the deceased shall not be married outside the family to a stranger. Her husband’s brother shall go in to her, taking her in marriage, and performing the duty of a husband’s brother to her, ⁶and the firstborn whom she bears shall succeed to the name of the deceased brother, so that his name may not be blotted out of Israel. ⁷But if the man has no desire to marry his brother’s widow, then his brother’s widow shall go up to the elders at the gate and say, ‘My husband’s brother refuses to perpetuate his brother’s name in Israel; he will not perform the duty of a husband’s brother to me.’ ⁸Then the elders of his town shall summon him and speak to him. If he persists, saying, ‘I have no desire to marry her’, ⁹then his brother’s wife shall go up to him in the presence of the elders, pull his sandal off his foot, spit in his face, and declare, ‘This is what is done to the man who does not build up his brother’s house.’ ¹⁰Throughout Israel his family shall be known as ‘the house of him whose sandal was pulled off.’

Paul and the Roman Tribune

22 Up to this point they listened to him, but then they shouted, ‘Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.’ ²³And while they were shouting, throwing off their cloaks, and tossing dust into the air, ²⁴the tribune directed that he was to be brought into the barracks, and ordered him to be examined by flogging, to find out the reason for this outcry against him. ²⁵But when they had tied him up with thongs,^* Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, ‘Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who is uncondemned?’ ²⁶When the centurion heard that, he went to the tribune and said to him, ‘What are you about to do? This man is a Roman citizen.’ ²⁷The tribune came and asked Paul,^* ‘Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?’ And he said, ‘Yes.’ ²⁸The tribune answered, ‘It cost me a large sum of money to get my citizenship.’ Paul said, ‘But I was born a citizen.’ ²⁹Immediately those who were about to examine him drew back from him; and the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him.

Paul before the Council

30 Since he wanted to find out what Paul^* was being accused of by the Jews, the next day he released him and ordered the chief priests and the entire council to meet. He brought Paul down and had him stand before them.

23While Paul was looking intently at the council he said, ‘Brothers,^* up to this day I have lived my life with a clear conscience before God.’ ²Then the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near him to strike him on the mouth. ³At this Paul said to him, ‘God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting there to judge me according to the law, and yet in violation of the law you order me to be struck?’ ⁴Those standing nearby said, ‘Do you dare to insult God’s high priest?’ ⁵And Paul said, ‘I did not realize, brothers, that he was high priest; for it is written, “You shall not speak evil of a leader of your people.” ’

6 When Paul noticed that some were Sadducees and others were Pharisees, he called out in the council, ‘Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection^* of the dead.’ ⁷When he said this, a dissension began between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. ⁸(The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, or angel, or spirit; but the Pharisees acknowledge all three.) ⁹Then a great clamour arose, and certain scribes of the Pharisees’ group stood up and contended, ‘We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?’ ¹⁰When the dissension became violent, the tribune, fearing that they would tear Paul to pieces, ordered the soldiers to go down, take him by force, and bring him into the barracks.

11 That night the Lord stood near him and said, ‘Keep up your courage! For just as you have testified for me in Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also in Rome.’